Racial message is getting through

AFL football operations manager Mark Evans has applauded Launceston fans for "dobbing in" a spectator for racially abusing North Melbourne player Majak Daw.

The league yesterday launched a video-scoreboard campaign to promote good crowd behaviour.

The launch follows last Friday's incident at the Hawthorn-North Melbourne pre- season clash when a fan was ejected from the ground after directing racial comments towards Sudanese-born Daw.

Evans said complaints about crowd behaviour at AFL games were rare.

"When they do happen, like the incident with Majak Daw at Launceston, I think the response from the people in the crowd in that vicinity and from the way it gets reported in the media, I think we can be very proud of that," Evans said.

"We now have a text hotline set up at every venue and people are encouraged to use that text hotline whenever there is something going on in the crowd around them."

Geelong coach Chris Scott said it was a great thing that AFL authorities didn't have to separate supporters of rival teams, as happens in some overseas codes.

The league's scoreboard message will be played at Tasmania's two AFL venues over six games this season. Hawthorn will host games at Launceston's Aurora Stadium on March 22, June 7, June 28 and August 3, while North Melbourne will host matches at Hobart's Bellerive Oval on July 12 and August 23.